More than Smoke and Mirrors
by RWBYsoul5
Summary: Rex Hayter, Rex the ripper, Raiden, Smoke, whatever name he went by didn't matter, he was one of the best mercenaries in alrest. Yet you know the story of a selfless hero who saved alrest. The truth is far darker then anyone would like to admit. AN: Title has changed from the rain transformed to More than Smoke and Mirrors
1. Prologue 1

**More than Smoke and Mirrors **

**Prologue 1: The other child **

Lightning flashed across the sky which was followed by a loud crack of thunder. The sky was blanketed by heavy black clouds which proceeded to soak the land with water. The village of Fonsett was all but deserted as the village occupants had taken shelter from the heavy rain. While most were warm in their homes, one unfortunate soul was stuck in the cold downpour. In a forest near the village, the brush wasn't very thick but the trees stood rather tall. Slumped against one of the trees was a boy who was no older than 3 years old. His blue shirt and pants were soaked and his shoes were missing. His feet and legs were covered in cuts and bruises while his arms hanged lazily at his side. He took in breath after breath, trying to regain strength but finding none. All he could do was remain slumped against that tree and… well, nothing. He could do nothing. His voice was gone from the crying he had done over the last few days, although it might have only been a few hours in reality. His face, despite being pelted by rain, was dirty and was adorned with tear streaks from his earlier crying. He was lost, his parents were nowhere to be found and in that moment he couldn't even remember their names or what they looked like. He was simply too young to have those memories burned into his mind. Lightning flashed again, it's blue light illuminated the boy for a moment before darkness consumed him again before thunder shook the air and ground. The rain showed no mercy and continued to soak the poor boy, who would almost certainly catch a cold in the morning, assuming nothing came around to eat him. A faint light was shining in the distance which the boy spotted in his peripheral view. He ignored it as he couldn't cry out. Even if someone was there, he couldn't hope to gain their attention. Lightning flashed again and thunder followed. The faint yellow light began to glow brighter and brighter. The light began to hurt the boys eyes and so he closed them, silently praying that whatever that light was it would save him or at least put him out of his misery.

"Oh my god, you poor thing." That voice, it was soft and sweet, like that of a mother or a pretty lady. The boy opened his eyes as the light dimmed slightly due to the flashlight no longer being in his face. The boy then looked at the one who had found him. It was a woman who wore a brown jumpsuit, black boots, and her hair was a dirty blonde color. Her eyes were beautifully blue and sympathy radiated from those eyes. She was soaked to the bone as well but she no longer cared, she was focused on the boy in front of her. She reached out and put a hand to his shoulder. "Can you hear me? Just nod if you can." She asked softly. The boy nodded, signaling his ability to hear her soft and warm voice. "My name is Eva, I'm going to help you."

**Eva (Suzetta Miñet)**

"Do you trust me?" she asked. The boy nodded again, knowing that he had no other choice but to trust her. Eva wrapped him in her arms, picked him up, retrieved her flashlight, and began to jog back home with a very thankful child in tow. He could barely feel his arms as they were shivering due to the cold but he found the strength to wrap them around Eva's neck in a soft hug. Eva smiled as she picked up the pace. The boy then began to black out in her embrace and fell asleep in her arms.

…

Warmth, that was the first thing he felt when he regained consciousness. Water, it was water, he was sure of that but it wasn't rain. His vision returned slowly and a warm light filled the room as he finally came to. He found himself submerged in a bath tub and he was stripped of his clothes but he didn't care, he was just happy to be out of the rain. He was not alone as he noticed a clean shaven man was currently bandaging his left arm. His hair was black and he had a green bandana on his head. The thing the boy noticed the most was that his right eye was covered by a black patch while his left was blue, just like the lady who saved him. The man then noticed the boy was now awake and patted him on the head lightly.

"Good, you're awake. How are you feeling kid?" the man asked. The boy tried to give a response but his voice was almost entirely gone, to the point where he could barely force out a grunt. John then lightly tapped the boys shoulder. "Don't force it, just relax okay?" he said quietly. "My name is John, just thought you should know."

**John Hayter (David Hayter)**

The boy gave a light nod before he drifted off to sleep again.

…

The boy was fast asleep on the couch. His legs and arms were wrapped in white bandages. He was warm under the silver blanket and his dreams were of the woman and man who took him in. Said man and woman were currently watching him sleep while also conversing.

"I'm not disagreeing with you Eva, I'm sorry if it sounds like I am." John said softly, trying to avoid waking the child.

"I know, but it feels like you don't want to deal with him. I know I just found out I was pregnant 2 days ago. It just seems like you don't want this boy interfering with our child, but he has nowhere to go." Eva whispered, her voice filled with concern. John then shook his head and smiled warmly at Eva.

"Eva, that wasn't what I was thinking at all. In fact it's the exact opposite of what I was thinking" John replied.

"Then what were you thinking?" Eva asked curiously

"I just wanted to make sure that…" John stopped and rubbed the back of his neck nervously

"Just spit it out John." Eva encouraged

"I was wondering if our kid would appreciate having an older brother." John said. This caused Eva to let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She then wrapped her love in her arms in a tight embrace.

"I'm sure that he/she would love him, too bad we still don't know his name." Eva lamented

"He'll come around in the morning, in the meantime let's let him sleep, he's had a long day." John said which Eva agreed with. As the two of them readied them selves for bed Eva had a feeling in her gut that made no sense, a feeling of false guilt and anxiety. Lightning crashed outside which lit the room is a brilliant blue light before it vanished just as fast as it came.

"John, I almost missed him. Had lightning not struck at that moment… he'd still be out there." Eva said with a slight quiver.

"He was the lightning. He shined through the darkness so you could see him." John said which made Eva wonder if that was possibly true. John then embraced Eva in bed a gave her a kiss.

"That boy has been through a lot, I just hope we can help him" Eva said

"Of course we will, he's our son now."

The next morning, the boy found his voice and with it, his name. Rex was now part of the Hayter family.


	2. Prologue 2

**Prologue 2: Brothers**

**9 months later**

Eva was a complete mess as was John. Eva's hair was all over the place and sweat was dripping all over her body. John looked like he had sprouted a few gray hairs but he never let go of Eva's hand during the entire ordeal. The only one who wasn't a mess was Rex. He was waiting next to John, his 'father'.

"Da, is ma okay?" Rex asked innocently. John then smiled and rubbed his back.

"Yes, she's okay now and so is your little brother." John said. Rex's eyes went wide.

"My what?" he asked. John then picked up the 3 year old. He lifted him into his lap which was high enough for Rex to see the newborn boy that was currently fast asleep on Eva's chest. Rex was stunned but at the same time he was excited, he now had a new friend to play with! Rex reached across his mothers arm and gently rubbed the baby's head.

"Hello little brother." Rex said with a small smile on his face. "You and I are going to be the best brothers ever!" Rex eagerly proclaimed. Eva, despite her fatigue, smiled brightly back at her elder child. Even though they adopted him, John and Eva felt a strong connection to Rex, he was their son as well and now they had two.

"What are we gonna name him?" John asked, referring to his newborn boy.

"David, his name is David." Eva said softly which was followed by a smile. Despite her happiness, no one was happier than Rex, he had a new friend now. He pulled himself onto the bed to join his mother and reached toward David.

"Be very gentle Rex." Eva warned. Rex slowed his approach slightly, crawling toward David he let out a pinky to the newborn. For a while, nothing happened as David's eyes remained closed but Rex showed a surprising amount of patience for a boy his age. He was content to just lie there on Eva's stomach while he waited for his brother to awaken. After a few minutes, David opened his eyes slightly and gave a soft coo before shifting ever so slightly. The baby then reached and grasped Rex's pinky as tight as it could which caused Rex to giggle. Rex made a quite promise when David first looked into his golden eyes.

'I promise to be the best brother that you'll ever have.' Rex said in his mind. With that he laid his head down next to David and drifted off to sleep. John then scooted closer to the bedside and wrapped his arm behind Eva who smiled.

"John, thank you" Eva quietly whispered

"Why are you thanking me, you're the one who's given me two sons. I never imagined it would happen like this but I couldn't be more proud." John whispered back

"Do you think we should tell David about Rex when he's old enough?" Eva asked

"Actually, I think Rex will tell him that himself." John responded and Eva laughed a little.

"That sounds like something he would do." Eva said. Following that little chat the two former mercenaries then got serious. They knew the world wasn't all good and they thought it best if they prepared their children the only way they knew how. When the day came, they would teach them everything they had learned in their time as soldiers.

"Do you think they will take it well?" Eva asked

"I'm not sure about David but if he's anything like us, he'll do just fine. As for Rex…" John got quiet as he looked at his sleeping elder child. "He'll see it as a challenge and he'll do whatever it takes to beat it." John stated. And so after a few years the two began to challenge the kids to gain their skills. Despite the rough start for Rex, he turned out to be exactly what John expected, a being of pure determination, a child who did not need to be told that he could accomplish anything. He had an attitude that John could only describe as a positive outlook on any situation. David was more reserved, he gave it his all there was no doubt about that but shockingly David did not develop a sibling rivalry with Rex, rather he respected what Rex did well and sought to help him in the things he struggled with and David was 3 years younger than him. John also introduced the boys to the local titan of Fonsett named Azurda. The old dragon titan took a liking to the two boys even though he found Rex to be quite the trouble maker, not because he caused others trouble but because he was always trying to save others from trouble and on occasion, David would join him. One night, while the boys were in Rex's secret hideout, Rex decided to break the truth to his brother.

…

The sky was crystal clear, not a single cloud to blemish its starlit luster. The cloud sea flowed quietly just below the cliff edge. Behind a set of vines was a cave that Rex went to whenever he wanted to be on his own but today his little brother, David, was with him. The two sat up against the rocks on the inside of the little cave and they just let the sound of the sea reign for a little while. Rex was 8 and David was 5 but the two were remarkably mature for their age, mostly due to their parents. Rex decided that now would be a good time to spill the beans because if he didn't do it now he might never have the courage to do it again.

"Hey David, there's something I need to tell you." Rex started hesitantly. David turned to his brother, a look of concern on his face, like he was afraid he had done something wrong. "I'm… sorry" Rex let out as he desperately held back his tears. David grasped his elder siblings hand.

"Rex, what are you sorry for?" he asked

"I never told you the truth… until now." Rex responded quietly. David continued to listen as his grip lessens on Rex's hand. "Mom… adopted me. She found me in the woods nearby. It was raining that day and it was only because of the flash of lightning that she found me." Rex said before going quiet. David looked surprised but not shocked. "I'm not your real brother." Rex said as the tears finally came "Please don't hate me… I'm sorry!" Rex choked out through his crying. David immediately pulled Rex into a tight hug.

"Rex calm down. Calm down please!" David begged as Rex was desperately trying to catch his breath. When he finally calmed down is when David pulled away and grasped Rex's shoulders. Looking deep into Rex's eyes, David spoke "Yes you are. You are my brother. I don't care what our blood may say, we are brothers, period. No ifs, buts, or nothing. You are my brother and I am yours. So please, don't ever think that you aren't." Rex was in shock, the immense fear of being hated and rejected by the one he called brother was washed away. Rex said nothing but he let a smile pop up as he hugged David.

"Thank you" was all Rex could say.

…

With that burden now gone, Rex and David doubled their effort in training. They began to find what they specialized in. David always beat Rex in CQC and was far better at stealth, though Rex wasn't bad he couldn't touch David. When it came to shooting, the boys were equal, Rex however, was better with a .45 while David preferred 9mm or tranquilizer rounds. Rex had speed down to a science, David could never catch him in a sprint and Rex had him beat when it came to using bladed weapons, however that was mostly due to David's dislike of knives and swords. Despite the extensive training, the boys were still allowed to be kids. They had their games, tag and hide and seek. Eva and John would read the boys legends at night, Rex's favorite was always the tale of Elysium and the Architect, though David never believed in such a tale. The two brothers would also come up with nicknames for each other that would stick forever. Rex gave David the name of Snake because he seemingly blended in with everything when they'd play hide and seek. David on the other hand called Rex Raiden, which was the old leftherian word for lightning. Those two were inseparable… until the day came when Rex took a fall to save someone he cared about.

…

The rain would not let up even as the day went on. Rex propped himself up against the rocks of the hideout wall. Water began to seep into the cave through some of the cracks in the walls but it wasn't enough to make Rex flinch. He simply took out a cassette player and put in his favorite song.

**[Now playing: Sweet Child O' Mine-Guns N' Roses]**

The familiar guitar put Rex at ease while it caused Snake to drift off to sleep. Rex smiled as he gently ruffled his brother's hair as he set the player down next to him. The rain kept coming but it seemed to lighten up a little. Azurda, John, and Eva were all away from the village, leaving the two boys to themselves. Rex let himself drift with the music for a little bit, enjoying the old style guitar and lyrics. He then stood up and took the player, leaving Snake to his slumber. He made his way out of the hideout back up to the village, only to see that many of the villagers were frozen in place. The reason for this was because an entire squad of Mor Ardain soldiers were walking through the main entrance. Of course this wasn't the first time that Rex had seen the goggle wearing soldiers but it was the first time encountering them alone, every other time he saw them, he had his father with him. A ting of fear began to grip Rex but he did not let it stop him as he stepped forward to confront one.

"Is there anything I could help you with?" Rex asked one of the soldiers.

"Do you know anyone by the name of Snake, we heard he was the descendent of two legendary mercenaries. We'd like to recruit the man." The soldier explained which sent Rex into a small panic.

'He couldn't possibly be talking about David is he? He's not even 13 yet and these guys want to recruit him. We can handle our own but we aren't soldiers.' As Rex was having these the thoughts the soldier simply walked passed him and the others began to search the village. Rex had to do something, these guys were rubbing him the wrong way and his mind was screaming at him to do something before they found the hideout.

"It's me!" Rex cried out which caused the squad of soldiers to turn to him. "I'm Snake, I'm the one you're looking for." He said softer this time. Rex was silently praying for the men to buy his fib and take him instead. After conversing with the others briefly, the leader turned to Rex and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Come with us, you're off to the empire now, so say goodbye to anyone you need to." The soldier said, to which Rex just nodded. Fear bubbled in Rex's stomach the entire way to the house. He shut off the cassette player and left it on the table. A tear came to his eye as he took one last look around but that wasn't what hurt. What hurt was that he couldn't say goodbye to Snake out of fear of getting him caught. He then made his way back to the patrol who proceeded to escort him to port. The entire time Rex took in the leftherian landscape one last time. He was sure that he would see it again but it would be his last look in a while. Tears threatened to spill over but he kept his strength.

'No, no tears. I'm doing this for him' Rex told himself as he began to enter the titan warship.

Meanwhile back in Fonsett, David was worried sick as he walked out of the house with Rex's cassette player. When he woke up and found Rex missing, he assumed that he had just gone home but that wasn't the case. David began to ask around and really started worry when no one in Fonsett knew where his brother was. He them looked toward the horizon and saw a titan battleship flying away. He could not see anyone on the ship but deep down, he knew, he knew his brother was on that ship. He ran toward the edge of the cliff and called out to his now lost brother.

"RAIDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!"


	3. Prologue 3

**Prologue 3: The Flamebringer **

Pain is a part of life. It was the Hayter family motto, one that had been passed on through the generations. Rex had taken that to heart but he wouldn't know just how true that statement was until he reached the desert empire of Mor Ardain. When he first landed and the ship doors opened he was greeted by sand, sand, and yet more sand.

'Here we go' was all Rex could think as he stepped into this new world.

…

Morag was not your typical 18 year old Ardainian women, far from it in fact. Women serving in the Ardainian army was nothing new but most of them were middle or lower class, Morag was next in line for the throne. Yet unlike everyone who came before her, she refused the power of a ruler and instead sought out the military life, leaving her younger brother to take the crown when her father's time came. Many raised an eyebrow at her decision but they knew better then to question the future Special inquisitor which Morag was sure she would become, she just had to earn that title first. For now though she simply dressed in her black military attire and set off for port.

'Okay, this isn't the first recruit you've trained. There is nothing to be nervous about." Morag said to herself. Despite that proclamation, this recruit wasn't like the others or so she was told. This was the prodigy of one of the most legendary mercenaries in history, the 'Snake' that her father had brought up many times before. She was never one to back down from a challenge but that doesn't mean that she didn't feel a bubbling nervousness in her gut. 'Who ever it is, I will train them to the best of my ability as Inquisitor' Morag continued onto the main street to meet the recruitment team halfway. They arrived slightly later than normal but Morag simply blamed the current sandstorm for that. When she did meet them she immediately gave a salute which was returned in haste.

**Morag (Kristy Mitchell)**

"Captain, I assume everything went well." Morag said

"Yes madam, in fact the boy didn't even hide. He just gave himself up." The captain's response confused the inquisitor.

"What do you mean? I thought you were after the 'Snake'?" she asked

"This is him inquisitor." The captain said while moving out of the to reveal a 15 year old boy in a blue salvager suit. Morag was instantly suspicious.

"A boy? A boy?! This is the 'Snake' my father was after?! A boy?!" Morag was incensed. She was expecting a hardened man or woman who had battle scars and the attitude of a mercenary. Instead she got a boy in a blue salvager suit that looked a size too big for him.

"I have a name. It's Rex by the way." Rex said with a air of contempt as he felt disrespected by the Ardainian women. He was young sure, but he was no boy, and he aimed to prove that to the women.

"Where are you from boy?" Morag asked with authority and slight annoyance

"Leftheria" He responded "My name is Rex Hayter, the son of Eva and John Hayter." That got Morag's attention

"So this 'Snake' that my father hailed as a soldier that must be recruited at all costs. The prodigy of the 'Big boss', is actually his son?" Morag asked no one in particular but Rex gave a curt nod anyway. Morag was slightly ashamed of the fact that they took this boy away from his home but she knew there was no questioning her father in this regard. "If it were up to me I would send you home now. This is Mor Ardain, one of the harshest titans in all of Alrest. The heat alone has killed almost as many as the monsters here have. It's no place for a boy."

"So you're giving up on me before we even start?" Rex questioned which surprised Morag. "I may not look like it but I am my father's son. He's taught me how to fight and survive, and even if he didn't, I would never back down from a challenge and I'd never give up no matter what."

"You say that now" Morag then got to a knee and looked Rex dead in the eye. "But you're training with me. Let's see how long that attitude lasts."

…

Routine, that was the first thing that Rex had to get into. Wake up at the crack of dawn, do the warm up run with Morag before beginning the real training. Sand and rocks beneath his feet, the blazing sun over head, dangerous creatures, and a demanding Inquisitor. Every challenge, every obstacle, every injury, ever drop of sweat, Rex battled through it all. Morag was rather impressed by the boy's ability to keep up with her own training regiment. Of course Morag was far more efficient with the training than Rex was but that was because she had been training for 3 years, Rex only had a few weeks. Determination was what kept him going, the will to keep pushing to be better. He was stuck here, he might as well make the most of it. As the weeks went on, fatigue started to set in for Rex, yet he did not show it. Morag realized that this boy had a hint of defiance in the way he trained. For one, he refused to wear the Ardainian uniform even though it would help to keep the sand out, when ever Morag ordered him to take a break, he would do one more set before stopping. That defiance only grew worse, to the point where the other side of Morag broke free.

…

"Rex, that's enough for now." Morag said as the sun continued to burn her. She had a massive tolerance for the heat, Rex did not. Despite spending a year in Mor Ardain, he had sweat clean through his cloths as he had already stained the dirt. He didn't stop despite his body screaming for respite. Morag was starting to get annoyed. "Rex, I said stop!" she ordered, once again he kept going. Rex's vision began to go dark and his breath began to cease. "For gods sake stop!" Morag grabbed Rex and pulled him to his feat, to which he almost immediately collapsed. Morag immediately set him down and began the overheat procedure, cooling Rex off and getting some water into his system. The 16 year old Rex began to slowly regain his senses and his breath returned to normal. He continued to sip at the canteen while Morag wiped him down with a wet cloth. "I don't understand you Rex." Morag sighed as she pushed her sweat soaked hair out of her face.

"You doubted my strength and resilience, I wanted to prove you wrong." Rex managed to breathe out. Morag just shook her head in dismay.

"Rex, strength isn't just physical, it's mental as well. It's never giving up but also knowing when you need rest. Experience begets wisdom, you and I have much to learn. Do want to know why you haven't been put into a squad yet?" Morag asked to which Rex just weakly nodded. "You intrigue me Rex, your determination and drive is something I envy, so I arranged for you to be my personal squad mate for the time being." She then leaned in close "I know you aren't the Snake that my father was looking for, so why bother staying in his place?" Morag asked

"What do you fight for Morag? Your country? Your pride? A mix of both? I fight for family. The Snake you were after is someone close to my heart and I would give everything to ensure their safety. Wouldn't you do the same for your family?" Rex asked and Morag immediately answered

"Yes, I would give everything for my brother." Morag said with stern confidence

"Then you and I have something in common Morag" Rex said with his old signature smile. Morag suddenly had a newfound respect and connection with Rex.

…

Weapon training for Rex was a breeze, at least compared to his first year of physical endurance. The Chroma katana quickly became his favorite weapon due to his appreciation for swords. However he did not wield it like a normal Chroma, he didn't sheath it after every swing, preferring instead to keep the blade out until the battle was finished and then he would sheath the blade. Odd as it was, Morag didn't mind it as much as she thought she would, Perhaps it would be best to let him develop his own style. Months went by and the two would have many sparing sessions, all of which Morag ended up winning of course… until one day.

…

"You ready Rex?" Morag asked as she set her weapons aside. This got Rex's attention.

"We're doing hand to hand combat today?" He asked to which Morag just nodded as she entered her combat stance. Rex smiled, on the inside and out. He would actually be able to show Morag something that only he knew.

"Let's begin" she proclaimed proudly as Rex got into the CQC stance that his father had taught him and Snake. Morag was no grunt, she did not recklessly approach Rex to attack, rather she let him have the first strike. Rex immediately caught Morag off guard with a grab and threw her aside. Morag took mental note of that mercy 'Okay Rex, you're holding back, why?'. Morag moved first this time but every grab or punch she tried was either blocked or evaded all together. 'Looks like his evasion training with the Katana has paid dividends' Morag mentally noted while attempting to slow down the spar, only for Rex to quickly get behind her and put her into a choke hold… sort of. He wasn't putting enough pressure to cut off her air flow but she wasn't free from his grip by any means. She struggled for a bit before Rex inexplicably threw her aside again. 'He's smiling like a child. He's toying with me!' Morag thought in annoyance. "You could have easily won right there, I hope you aren't going easy on me boy!" Morag exclaimed which caused Rex to charge. Morag thought she had caught him being overly aggressive and moved in to strike, but once again her prodigy caught her, this time he put her down, literally. Rex had managed to flawlessly execute a CQC grab and slammed Morag to the ground, knocking the wind out of her. Morag struggled to catch her breath as she Laid motionless for a few moments. As her breath returned, so too did her pride, she was just completely embarrassed by her own student, by a tactic she had no knowledge of. Yet when she glanced up at Rex, she did not see a look of pride or victory. There wasn't even a smile, in fact Rex, despite his first victory over Morag in a spar, looked defeated. He lent an arm and pulled Morag to her feet.

"Are you okay?" He asked with a look of sincere concern

"I'll admit that I was shaken for a moment but I am otherwise fine but I must ask why. Why do you look so defeated after a victory? Shouldn't you at least be smiling?" Morag questioned

"Because I hate hurting my friends and family. That hurts more than any physical wound ever could. Maybe I should be proud of the fact that I bested my mentor, but I used a tactic that you knew nothing about and didn't have the slightest clue of how to defend. There is no victory in this for me." Rex said.

Morag was once again left stunned by the Leftherian boy, who would be turning 18 in a months time. "Your friend? Rex I am nothing but your captor, at best I'm your mentor. You should hate me! My people took you from your home!" She yelled. Rex just shrugged

"Maybe I should hate you, but I don't. I remind you that I willingly gave myself up as well, and you are not the same as the people who took me. I doubt you gave the order to capture a 'Snake'." Rex said

"You are right. I did not give that order but still… I am becoming the special inquisitor this weekend. The ceremony is already being prepared as we speak. I am about to become an official representative of this titan, this country, these people. The same one's that kidnapped you. Any pride that I have is of blind duty to my nation." Morag said with a scowl

"And your brother." Rex added to which Morag responded with a look of confusion. "I know you love your home and country, that may be what you're representing but that's the price of serving in the force. That's not why you fight, that's not what makes you Morag Ladair. Your drive and passion comes from your will to protect Niall, tell me I'm wrong." Rex challenged to which Morag responded to with conviction.

"You're right." She said as she fixed her ruffled uniform. Rex dusted her off before doing something Morag was not expecting, he pulled her into a hug and asked in mock anger

"Why didn't you tell me you were getting promoted?" Rex asked

"I… What?" Morag was still shocked by the embrace that the question flew over her head. Rex released her and he had the biggest smile on his face.

"My friend is about to become the special inquisitor! This is kind of a big deal! Why wouldn't you tell me?" he asked excitedly

"I… didn't think… never mind." Morag didn't want to finish that sentence because she knew it to be wrong. "I will ensure you are among the crowd, if you wish to be there that is" she said, though she knew his answer.

"You know I do!" Rex exclaimed

…

Front row seats. Rex was not expecting that and yet here he is, front and center to his new friend's greatest moment… yet he felt guilty. His last talk with Morag caused his to really think about his reason for remaining here in the empire. What Morag said was partially true, he had been taken from Fonsett and brought to this dessert titan. Yet he came willingly to save David from the pain. That caused Rex to think even more. He came here for his brother's sake but… how was David? Was he worried sick about him? Were his parents trying to find him? Had they moved on? Had David forgotten? Rex shook those thoughts away, now wasn't the time. Morag then began to walk toward Rex in her White and Red dress uniform, which was just her normal outfit but white rather than black. She also was lacking her signature hat and her hair was tied in a partial bun. She looked beautiful, there was no denying that and Rex put on his best smile for her. Yet Morag took him by the arm and pulled him out.

"What happened? Did I do something wrong?" Rex asked

"Of course not, but we need to talk." Morag said as she pulled Rex along, eventually reaching her private quarters. She quickly ushered him in and shut the door.

"Morag, what's wrong?" Rex pleaded. She grabbed him by the shoulders and said

"Go home Rex." Rex did not know what to say but the thoughts he had earlier came flying back. Morag continued "You had a look in your eye of someone who is lost, who wishes to go home. I don't know how you don't resent me or my nation but I will confine you here no longer." She said with a quiver in her voice.

"Morag! You haven't confined me here! I've chosen to stay. I could have escaped a long time ago, you know why I didn't? Two reasons; First, your father would have sent troops after me and if I got caught, he would take me away from you. And second, because of you. You were tough, a pain in the ass, brutal, unrelenting, and yet you were kind, respectful, and righteous. My father told me that if I ever meet someone with all those qualities, I better make sure I hang on to them. You're my friend Morag, I hope I'm your friend as well. So stop trying to get rid of me special inquisitor, cause you're stuck with me." Rex said flashing a cheeky smile. Morag, for the first time in years, faltered in front of someone, she began to cry. Rex immediately pulled her into a hug which she returned. They stood there for several minutes before Morag finally pulled away.

"I do not understand you Rex, yet I'm glad you're here. Tell me though, do you wish you could go home?" She asked. Rex looked at the mirror which showed his reflection along with Morag's.

"I was adopted by John and Eva, David is their real kid. He's my brother no matter what our blood says. I came here to save him. Perhaps I have stayed too long. I feel guilty, leaving him behind without saying goodbye. Maybe he'd welcome me back, maybe he'll punch me in the face… maybe he'll never call me brother again." Rex began to crack but pulled himself together "No, no he would never do that." He then turned to Morag "Make me a promise right now. Not as my mentor or special inquisitor, but as my friend. Don't tell anyone that I'm not the real 'Snake'".

Morag eased the man's worries at haste. "I've known for a while, I have not told a soul, nor will I."

"Thanks for that"

…

Flamebringer, a title she would soon earn when she inherited the jewel of the empire. Driver and blade, a bond that connected the very souls of two beings. She had intended to be the best driver in the empire and live up to the high standard of the blade she inherited, but first, introductions. Morag and her blade made their way to the training ground, it was midnight so all the soldiers had called it a day… all except for one birthday boy.

"Happy 18th Rex." She said as Rex finished with his pull up set.

"Thanks Mor-" he immediately stopped when he turned around and saw the blade that was with Morag. She had long purple hair and blue flames danced at the ends of her bangs and raged at the top of her swirls. Crystallized and frozen blue flames entombed her arms up close to her shoulders and on her legs, reaching just past her knees. Her dress was as blue as her fire. It was clearly a regal design yet it had a valley down the middle that showed off quite a bit of skin, but not too much. Many would have been left speechless by her appearance, yet Rex managed to turn his attention back to Morag after a brief moment of staring. "So who's she?" Rex asked with a slight blush. The blade then stepped forward and introduced herself.

"My name is Brighid." She said with a light bow of the head. Rex bowed back and reached out a hand.

"Good to meet you." He said while Brighid extended her own hand

"Rex, you might not-" Morag wasn't fast enough to warn Rex before Rex made contact with her blade's hand. However, nothing happened. The two simply shook hands and Rex made no reaction of discomfort. Brighid even seemed surprised by this.

"You're… not getting burned." Brighid stated. Rex seemed puzzled

"Yeah, is that weird? I mean your hand is warm but not hot." He said

"Normally whenever one touches Brighid, they are left with severe burns. I don't have any because I'm her driver but for you to be unaffected, is surprising." Morag said

Rex just gave his trademark smile "Well I guess I'm fireproof." He said before laughing a little. Brighid turned to her driver

"This is your prodigy Lady Morag?" she asked

"Yes, Yes he is" Morag said while holding back a chuckle of her own. Perhaps things would be just fine even with the added responsibility.

…

Rex quickly learned that Brighid was just as patriotic as Morag. He knew that Blades got part of their personality from their drivers but Brighid seemed like a mirror copy of Morag. Rex of course, treated Brighid with the upmost respect and even made sure not to get too comfortable in conversation, lest he bring up something embarrassing about Morag and receive 3rd degree burns for his trouble. Brighid at first questioned the fact that this man could be her lady's right hand man, yet after a while she seemed to warm up to him. Sparring was far more intense than before. Rex found himself outmatched by the combo of Morag and Brighid. Those whip swords that Morag and Brighid passed with ease cut and burned him multiple times. He found himself frustrated on multiple occasions but he never quit, he still had his CQC advantage, he'd get her one day. Little did he know that his time in Mor Ardain was up.

…

Morag promised she wouldn't cry when her father passed, she would move on and guide her brother to his future. Yet she was not crying tears of sorrow, they were burning with anger. She was given one final order, one that her father kept silent about for years. When she learned the truth she was beyond angry, she was furious. Not even Brighid could help her and so she waited outside her door. Morag read the letter over and over again. She felt betrayed, that was the only way to describe how she felt. Her father, a man she respected and loved even if she never completely agreed with him, had betrayed her. The whole purpose of capturing and recruiting the prodigy of big boss, the 'Snake', was to pay back an old debt to Indol. A ship was waiting in port to take away Rex. Morag knew that she was too late to do anything. After her anger finally subsided she pulled in Brighid. "Listen carefully Brighid, I know that this might not work but I want you to try something for me, okay?" She asked and Brighid complied. Morag whispered her request into her blade's ear and Brighid looked shocked, well as shocked as one who never opened their eyes could be. It was crazy, impossible, and yet her driver seemed completely serious. Brighid went to port while Morag went to fetch Rex. Needless to say that Rex was surprised and upset at the fact that he was being shipped off, yet he seemed ready for a new challenge. Morag wasn't sure what Indol had in store for Rex but she knew that he could probably handle whatever they threw at him. When they reached the port, Rex said goodbye to Morag and Brighid. Before he could board the ship however Morag pulled him back.

"Morag, this is hard enough as it is." Rex said

"I know but Brighid has something to ask of you." Morag said

"It's true. Rex could you give me your hand?" She asked. Rex agreed and placed his hand in Brighid's. She entwined her fingers with his for a moment and gently brought his hand closer to her flame shaped core crystal. She gently took his index and middle fingers and placed them on the smooth blue crystal. A blue flame encircled his fingers before the flame grew around both of his hands. He pulled away and the flames continued to swirl until they dispersed with a quick burst.

"What?" Rex said in surprise

"Thank you Rex." Brighid said before letting Morag step forward. She once again was on the verge of tears but she had to do this. She took off her cap, brushed her hair out of the way, walked up to Rex, and gave him a quick peck on the forehead. She blushed lightly while putting her cap back on. Rex just laughed.

"You act as if you'll never see me again. I promise to meet you again one day. You can count on it." Rex said before giving one last smile. A smile that would have to last Morag for a decade.


	4. Chapter 1: A merc named Smoke

**Chapter 1: A Merc named Smoke **

**10 years later…**

**Argentum Trade Guild**

The hum of the holographic screen was the only sound being made in the bar. Everyone and everything in the bar had been deathly quiet for some time. The screen was then shut off and the device, known to the user as the Idroid, was placed to the side in favor of grabbing the drink in front of him. A cup of water, not beer, was his choice of drink, however his thoughts were elsewhere as he refused to take a sip. The man sat next to a group of salvagers who kept giving him passing glances, their eyes were filled with fear. The man couldn't blame them, they had every right to be scared. Yet he did not wish for the silence to continue, so he spoke

"Alright, you can stop tiptoeing around me" he said. The man was unlike any other. His body was a mix of black armor and wiring. His body had been transformed into a machine, the only human parts that remained were his head and the fingers that protruded from his mechanical hands. The Salvage team then turned to face him as he deactivated the black visor covering his face, revealing his calm expression. His dark blue eyes gave off an aura of disappointment.

"This place echoes with chatter and the sounds of friends and family… yet the moment I walk in everyone shuts up. As if they all suddenly want to piss themselves now. Why is that?" the man asked the salvagers. One stood out, a women with jet black hair and mocha colored skin. She wore a brown and blue salvager suit and while she harbored some fear, she would not back down from the strange customer.

"I think it's because they know who you are and it scares them shitless." She said

"There's not a single person in all of Argentum that knows who I am" was the man's response. This caused the women to raise an eyebrow.

"You're Rex the ripper aren't you?" she asked with a light quiver in her voice, as if she had just said her final words. The man simply smiled sadly and turned back to his drink.

"Rex the ripper, a psycho killer that is driven by bloodlust. Some say he chopped down dozens of Indoline troops in a blood rage. Others say he enjoys combat and it's the feeling of pain that keeps him going. Others say that revenge is what drives him, his quest for revenge against those who had wronged him. Hell I've heard some say that he's a demon sent by the architect to cleanse the unholy when Malos failed before. Many believe that his blood runs cold as he is incapable of caring about anything other than the pain he finds in combat" The man then turned back to the women who was brave enough to speak to him. "But that's not who I am. More importantly, that's not who I want to be. I've had to leave a lot of people behind because of that damn name. I wish I could stay with them, I wish I could go home, but I can't." The man then stood up to face the women which he only stood 2 inches taller then. "I never asked to be like this" he said gesturing to his mechanical body "but it was the hand I was dealt. Now I'm trying to make sure I play it right. What's you name?" He asked

"The name's Sharla, why did you want to know my name?" she asked

"You lead this salvage team?" the man asked. Sharla nodded "Listen very carefully and please don't shut me down just because you think you know me when you don't." Sharla nodded again "Can you teach me how to salvage?" he asked. Sharla did a double take.

"I'm sorry?!" Sharla exclaimed

"I want you to-" he began but Sharla cut him off.

"I know what you said, I'm just trying to wrap my head around it. You want to salvage?" she asked. A nod was the response she got.

"I mean… why? You seem more like a mercenary than a salvager" Sharla asked

"Certain circumstances have forced me to leave the mercenary business behind. Salvagers move around a lot and are barely noticed by Indol." He said

"So you want to learn how to salvage in order to hide from Indol? Is that it?" Sharla asked

"Not quite but that is the basis of it." He said

"You do realize you'll need a team when you first start out" Sharla said

"That is why I'm asking to join yours" he said. Sharla went visibly tense, she wanted to say no immediately. She feared for her team, this was Rex the ripper asking after all. Yet when she looked him in the eye and looked for any sign of treachery, she found none. Now Sharla was visibly confused. Not only was this man serious, he also seemed slightly desperate. Her compassion got the better of Her.

"Listen, you see these people. They're my family. If you even think about laying a finger on them I will put a bullet in your head so fast you won't even be able to draw that sword of yours." Sharla threatened. The man was unfazed, in fact he even smiled.

"Your devotion to your friends and family is admirable. It is a trait I wish I had. That is why I would like your help." The man said sincerely "I will never mean them any harm nor will I let any harm come to them. That is my oath to you and your team if you would just give me a chance." The man finished.

Sharla wasn't sure what to do. Having an extra crew member who could double as a bodyguard would be invaluable but at the same time she was taking a huge risk. Yet when she looked at the man she did not see the face of Rex the ripper but rather the face of a man who simply wanted an escape from his old life and tragedy. In the end she nodded and stuck her hand out.

"I'm giving you one chance, don't make me regret it." She said as the man shook her hand. "One more thing. I need your actual name. We can't exactly call you the ripper." She said.

The man was hesitant at first, he wanted to leave behind his past behind. Yet he refused to give her his nickname, the one that he called him. Instead he opted for his second nickname, the one his second family gave him

"Smoke"

'**Smoke' Rex 'Raiden' Hayter (Quinton Flynn)**

**1 year later**

Sharla was once again messing with her junk rifle. Its second hand passing through the generations had taken a toll on the old rifle, yet somehow Sharla not only managed to keep it working but she restored it to it's former glory. The dock shook slightly as a salvager emerged from the cloud sea with only a small box in their hand. Sharla laughed a little.

"No luck huh?" She commented at the white and orange clad salvager. Said salvager then pressed a button and the entire suit retracted into a little box. The salvager was her teammate Smoke who shook his head as he put the retracted prototype suit into one of his cyborg pockets.

"No" was his simple response as he opened his tiny haul. The box contained a snow ring, the 15th he found this week. He was tempted to throw the item back into the sea but after taking a closer look, he realized the ring was in pristine condition. A simple cleaning would make it shine. For that reason he decided to pocket the ring.

"I don't think I will sell that one" he said which caused Sharla to mock gasp

"Smoke, I didn't know you loved someone." She joked with a playful smirk. Unfortunately for her, Smoke would never bite on those jokes nor would she get a good reaction.

"As if anyone would love a machine." He said in a neutral tone. Sharla could only frown at that response which Smoke then backpedaled on. "Before you say it, I know I'm not a machine… but every now and then I can't but feel like one. I've already explained this to you." He said

"I know. You can't feel anything except through your fingers and face. I can't really imagine what that's like. Not to mention you can't eat anything, only drink." Sharla stated sadly. 'To think I was so scared of him when we first met, now I feel bad for him. Life is indeed strange sometimes. How tragic that the kindest souls are also the most broken' Sharla thought

"What was that?" Smoke asked. Sharla realized she had said that part aloud. Seeing no reason to hide it, she repeated herself.

"I said how tragic it is that the kindest souls are the most broken" She said

"Are you referring to me?" Smoke shook his head "You are mistaken Sharla" he said quietly

"On which part? You being kind or broken?" she asked. Smoke offered her no answer. He did not wish to trouble her anymore than he already did. The two sat in silence until Sharla changed the subject.

"What else is on your mind, that you're willing to tell me?" she asked

"The chairman of Argentum called me for a special job earlier today. I've already met the crew that hired me… but something about them was off." Smoke said

"How so?" Sharla asked

"They were drivers and blades, they wanted a salvager from Leftheria. The payment is what tipped me off. They gave me 100k up front and offered another 100k after completing the task." Smoke said

"Why is that suspicious? Drivers and blades can salvage as well" Sharla followed up

"Yeah but they don't give you that kind of money unless they expect you to die. The up front payment is for your next of kin." Smoke stated

"You think they're trouble?" she asked

"Maybe… but at the same time… I don't know. Their leader seemed a lot like me. A swordsman who's trying to let go of something and can't for some reason. Maybe he'll turn out okay, maybe he'll try to stab me in the back. Either way I'm gonna find out" Smoke lamented.

"That is a conundrum." Sharla stated

"I'll handle it. I always do." Smoke said but his voice lacked the usual confidence

"Is something else bothering you? You seem really out of it today Smoke" Sharla asked

Smoke peaked over his shoulder multiple times before responding. "There's a titan on the final dock. His name is Azurda."

"Okay what about it?" Sharla asked

"He's the one I called gramps. He's from Fonsett, my old home." Smoke said sadly

"So go say hello" Sharla suggested and Smoke instantly shook his head

"I've been gone for 14 years. I can't just walk up to him and say Hi. I'm not the boy he used to know. Even if It was that simple, I know what he's gonna do. He's gonna try and take me home and I'm gonna say no. My family… they won't accept who, no, what I've become" Smoke said. Sharla proceeded to slap him across the face.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! If Azurda and your family really are your family, they'll accept you because they love you! They won't care that you're a cyborg now, to them, even though you aren't the same, you're still Smoke. Now go say Hi you stubborn mother fucker!" Sharla shouted

Smoke was still hesitant. Perhaps Sharla had a point, if they truly cared, then his body wouldn't matter, like it didn't with his second family. However it was the other baggage that Smoke carried that caused him to think twice

_Family will help you. Go to him_

Smoke made an about face. 'That voice' "Was that you Sharla?" Smoke asked

"I didn't say anything. Now stop stalling already." Sharla ordered

Smoke was visibly confused. That statement was clearly for him yet Sharla hadn't said it. Smoke decided to think on that later. He gathered his willpower and approached the final dock. The old titan was gray with little purple and green foliage on his head and back. Smoke knew that it was a longshot that gramps would recognize him but he had made up his mind.

'Fuck it, not like I have anything left to lose after…' Smoke didn't complete that thought as he approached the titan. He wasn't sure what to say and so decided to start with clarification

"Excuse me, you're Azurda right?" Smoke asked. The titan turned his head to the mechanical merc

"That I am. Who are you exactly?" the old one asked

"Someone you know but wouldn't recognize. Hell even I didn't recognize me when I first saw what I became." Smoke said

"I'm afraid I don't quite follow." Azurda said confused

"You lost someone years ago. I'm guessing that you've been looking for him ever since, am I wrong?" Smoke hinted

"How do you know this? Who are you?!" Azurda demanded

"Gramps, it's me, it's Rex." Rex reviled. Azurda stopped breathing for a moment. He did the titan equivalent of a double take. He couldn't believe what he just heard. This cyborg couldn't possibly be Rex. Yet the way he said it, the expression on his face, and the tone of his voice, and the use of the name 'gramps'… it could only be one individual. Still Azurda was skeptical.

"Can you prove your identity?" Azurda asked

"I have no physical proof as my body was stolen from me. However, I specialize in sword and knife combat, I prefer a .45 while my brother uses a 9mm. I have speed down to a tee while my brother is a stealth specialist. My mother and father adopted me after I was found in a forest. My home is Fonsett, my family means everything to me yet I had to leave them behind. My mother is named Eva Hayter, my Father is John Hayter, my brother is named David, I call him Snake and he calls me Raiden. My word is my only proof so I don't blame you if it's hard to believe." Rex finished. Azurda was in shock and awe. The architect must have finally blessed him, the boy he had been searching for had found him.

"Rex my boy… you've changed significantly." The old titan said

"Yeah I think that much is obvious…. Gramps I'm sorry. I must have had you and everyone else worried sick when I left. I never intended to stay away for that long, I had every intention of coming back… but" Rex hesitated

"Speak my boy, I harbor no anger toward you" Azurda said

"I mean… look at me!" Rex cried, gesturing to his mechanical body. "I was turned into… this! My body was stolen from me, my mind was next, it's only due to her bravery that I escaped that hell! I couldn't come home like this, no one would accept me!" Rex said

"That's not true and you know it! Your family wouldn't judge you for that because you had no choice!" Azurda insisted

"Maybe but that doesn't change the fact that I left without saying a word. I didn't want Snake to get caught… hell I didn't even say goodbye to Auntie, damnit now I feel like shit!" Rex yelled while slamming his fist into his palm. That women was like a second mother to him, he had no excuse to forget about her. Azurda's expression became dour.

"My boy, she would not want you to beat yourself up over one failure. Now I believe you owe an explanation to your parents and David… whenever he gets back." Azurda

"Wait… what do you mean when he gets back?" Rex asked

"He's been out looking for you for a few years now, last I heard he was in Mor Ardain. I haven't heard from him in a week. Soon I'll have to look for him as well. Come on now" Azurda insisted but Rex shook his head.

"I'm not ready, not yet. I've got a job now. I've been sending money to Auntie Corrine in order to help the orphanage. It's something I owe her" Rex said.

"So it was you, the one named 'Smoke' who kept sending gold to Fonsett?" Azurda asked and Rex nodded. "Corrine would be proud to know it was you for the longest of times" Azurda added.

"Listen gramps, I know it's been forever but please, give me some time. I've got a job to complete. When it's done I'll face my family, okay?" Rex Pleaded

"What are you so afraid about Rex?" Azurda asked

"I thought I was being a hero, turns out I became a martyr and an idiotic one at that. I carry a baggage that… I'm afraid of" Rex finished. Before Azurda could retort, a Gormonti woman stepped onto the dock.

"Oi Smoke, you coming?! Jin says we're shipping out early. Come on!" The women yelled. She wore a black jumpsuit with a red hood.

"Who is that?" Azurda asked

"Nia, one of my employers." Rex answered

"You didn't tell her your real name?" Azurda questioned

"No one except my families and teammates need to know my real name. I've gotta go gramps but in time, I'll make up for all those years." Rex said before running to join Nia. Azurda then went into deep thought

'Jin… she couldn't have meant him could she?' Azurda then backed out of the dock 'I lost you one time boy, never again."

…

Rex knew the job was important but he didn't think chairman Bana would bring out the Maelstrom for the job. Being Argentum's best ship meant it was only used on big jobs. Rex let his eyes linger on the boat as he unsheathed the Murasama only to re-sheath the blade. A small part of him wanted to take to Azurda's back and ride home to see Eva and John again. However now wasn't the time to be Rex, now was the time to be Smoke

"Gawking at a boat, what are you 12?" Nia asked with a sarcastic tone when she walked up behind the mechanical mercenary

"I'm old enough to know how to ignore your insults" without even looking at her, Smoke made a quip of his own "You however don't want to be standing there, otherwise the rope pile you're standing on will take you legs clean off when we ship out" Smoke said. Nia gasped and jumped back. Smoke chuckled slightly as he turned to face the pissed driver and her tiger blade. Nia didn't stick around to face him "Dromarch, I'd keep a close on your lady" Smoke said.

"I am duty bound to do so Mister Smoke but may I inquire why you are concerned about her?" the beast blade asked

"This group she travels with, does she call them family? If she does, she may want to rethink that decision" Smoke said. Dromarch was slightly taken aback

"Forgive me but I do not believe you are qualified to say that. My lady is in her present company for very good reasons." Dromarch said

"I'm just saying, I know people who would treat her better and accept whatever fear she carries as their own" Smoke stated with modest confidence. Dromarch seemed surprised by Smoke's statement

"How can you be so sure?" Dromarch asked

"Well, they accepted me, and I'm the scariest mother fucker on Alrest" Smoke said as he walked off. Dromarch wasn't quite sure what to think of that statement as he joined Smoke and Nia on the ship. Smoke sat down on one of the boxes and let his mind wander to when he first met his employers.

**Earlier**

Smoke walked into the chairman's office and came face to face with the Pink No-pon himself. The chairman gave his usual over the top introduction which Smoke blocked out until he finally got to the job description.

"Anyway, Bana called Smoke for a special salvaging job. Reward is 100 thousand gold." The No-pon proclaimed. Immediately Smoke was suspicious.

"A salvaging job, for 100 thousand gold? Sounds like an overpayment." Smoke said

"That's just upfront reward, another 100 thousand will be rewarded on completion of job" Bana added. Smoke knew for sure something was up.

"No one gives out that kind of cash for a salvage job, I don't care how big of a haul it is." Smoke stated

"Meh, you can ask them yourself" Bana said. The side door than opened up. First in was a Gormonti woman in a black jumpsuit with a red hood. Behind her was a white tiger in armor which Smoke identified as a blade. A tall and built man with black hair and armor came in next, following him was another blade, shaped like a walking lizard alien. The final individual caught Smoke's attention. He wore a strange horned mask over the upper part of his face. He carried a sword on his back which Smoke realized was a Nodachi. His hair was silver like Smoke but it was much lighter than Smoke's hair. Smoke suddenly felt like talking again and spoke up

"Drivers and blades huh? What do you need me for?" Smoke asked

"We've been trying to haul up a big catch and need help to bring it up but it's a long way down." The masked man said. Smoke was still suspicious

"That didn't really answer my question. I asked why do you need me specifically?" Smoke asked

"Bana can answer that. They were very specific. They want small, elite team, and only from Leftheria." The chairman said. That tipped off Smoke

"What are you really after?" he asked. The masked man gave no answer. The Gormonti woman was losing patience.

"Jin do we really need this guy? We've got people from Leftheria already." She said

"No you don't" was Smoke's response "The Argentum salvager corps has 100 individuals on tap, 25 are listen from Leftheria on the paperwork. Here's the catch, of those 25 listed from Leftheria, 24 are actually from different titans. They just put Leftheria in order to avoid taxes." Smoke said

"Wait, so who's the 1?" The woman asked

"Me, I'm the only listed salvager that's actually from Leftheria. In other words Miss… what was your name?" Smoke asked

"Nia" was her response

"Well Nia, allow me to put this in a way that everyone will understand. You need me a hell of a lot more than I need that 200 thousand gold. So unless you're willing to answer my questions, you're gonna lose my cooperation." Smoke finished. Nia had a shocked expression on her face, the one in black seemed greatly annoyed, the masked man however merely seemed disappointed.

"State your terms" the masked man said calmly

"Your names would be a start" Smoke stated

"I'm Malos, my blade is Sever, you've met Nia, the furry blade is Dromarch, and he's Jin" the one in the dark armor rattled off. Smoke then stood face to face with the swordsman.

"What are you hauling up and why do you need me?" Smoke asked again. Jin looked as if he was choosing his next words carefully.

"We are hauling up a ship near the bottom of the cloud sea. Within the ship is something personally important to Malos. I made him a promise and I intend to keep it. The ships doors will only open to Leftherian touch, hence why you are needed." Jin said. Smoke could read his expression like an open book despite the mask.

"You see him as family don't you?" Smoke asked randomly. Jin said nothing and his expression barely changed. "I can tell you've gone through some shit that you'd rather forget. He gave you a chance to put it behind you, or at least try to. I feel the same way, with what I've done." Smoke said

"Why are you telling me this?" Jin asked

"Because I know what it's like to lose family and hate the entire world for it. How do I know you felt like that? Because you give off the same aura I do." Smoke then put a fist to his chest over where his heart used to be "I respect someone who honors their promises to those they consider family." Smoke said as he dropped his hand. Jin seemed to be in minor shock while Malos and Nia were simply flabbergasted. "I'll work with you, end of story" Smoke then began to walk away, leaving the squad known as 'Torna' in a very unfamiliar state. Jin then asked

"You, what's your name?"

Smoke then turned with his arms out wide "I'm just a Merc named Smoke."


	5. Chapter 2: The Woman by the tree

**Chapter 2: The woman by the tree**

Smoke left his thoughts and returned to the present. He began to go through his normal checklist before any mission. He slowly pulled the Murasama from its sheath. The red blade glowed in the faint light of the ship and gave off its signature hum, signaling to any that it was no ordinary sword. He sheathed the blade and opened his right leg compart, pulling out the only MK23 SOCOM pistol in the world. Alrest was lacking in the firearm department, most used blades to fight, other than the military of Mor Ardain but their steam tech lagged behind what his father and his former mercenary group could produce. He pulled out the only magazine he had and shoved it into the gun. He hoped that he wouldn't have to use it or the Murasama but Smoke wasn't naïve. Even though he accepted the job, he didn't truly trust Jin or the others. Nia, who was only 3 feet away, seemed to be the most harmless of the bunch, even if she had a snarky attitude. Jin was standing near one of the windows and Smoke decided to approach after storing his SOCOM. The masked swordsman heard the metallic footsteps and did not bother to turn around. Jin was not used to having no leverage on his quest but this was an exception, he needed Smoke more than he'd like to admit. However Smoke said nothing, he just leaned against the wall, content with standing there next to the fellow swordsman. Jin couldn't help but glance at the odd sheath of Smoke's sword. It had a magazine and trigger like a gun. Jin concluded that it gave the blade a faster drawing speed. Normally Jin would have paid him no mind but Smoke's words back in Argentum had stuck with him. Seeing the opportunity in front of him, Jin decided to speak with the cyborg.

"Smoke, you said you know what it's like to hate the whole world for taking away family, why would you tell me that?" Jin asked with genuine confusion. Smoke did not respond immediately. His head drifted downward and he stared at the floor for quite some time. He then lifted his head, his eyes glistening slightly.

"Have you lost someone before and blamed it on the whole world? The way you carry yourself shows that you have, or am I mistaken?" Smoke asked as he rubbed his eyes, getting water on his fingers and metallic palms. Jin was somewhat surprised by his tears but he decided to indulge the strange mercenary.

"I did lose someone and that is all I will tell you" Jin said. Smoke nodded and went back to leaning before reaching into one of his cyborg compartments and pulling out a white tape. It had light scratches on the exterior. It was a song that Smoke couldn't play without a walkman which he had left behind long ago. The tape had the words 'Quiet's theme' written in marker across the area marked 'title'. Smoke knew it was a long shot but he took it anyway.

"Jin, by any chance, do you have a walkman that I can use?" Smoke asked while holding out the tape. Jin shook his head and Smoke nodded while putting away the tape. Smoke then left Jin to himself as he went up the stairs to the top deck of the maelstrom, passing by Malos and Sever on his way to the crow's nest. Smoke relieved the sailor on duty and took on the role of over watch for the night. He activated his mechanical visor and began to scan the sea they had passed. While scanning the sea, Smoke couldn't help but pull out the tape again. Feeling it in his human fingers made his gut wrench and his heart ache. It was he had left to remember his second mentor.

'And it's all my fault!' Smoke mentally screamed. He took a deep breath as wisps of Smoke began to escape from his cyborg body. He calmed down and the Smoke ceased. It had been over a year, yet the pain was a prevalent as ever. He turned back to the sea but couldn't let go of the tape. If only he had a walkman so his Idroid could play the tape. He was lost in the tape for so long that he didn't even realize Nia walking up to the crow's nest.

"Damn it's cold up here." She commented. Smoke snapped out of his moment of weakness and indulged in the women's company.

"One perk of an artificial body is that I don't get cold. Besides how can you be cold? You're wearing a black jumpsuit." Smoke said

"Yeah but it doesn't do a damn thing about the wind chill." She responded

"What are you doing up here anyway?" Smoke asked

"They've started boozing below deck. I wanted to get away from the noise" she said with a frown

"Well feel free to stay. I know how rowdy salvagers can get. 'Swim like a fish and drink like one too' is part of their code." Smoke said

"Thanks for the warning, I don't think I'll be changing careers" Nia said with a laugh before getting serious. "Dromarch told me something. You said that you were concerned about who I called family. What I want to know is why you think that's any of your damn business!" She asked aggressively. Smoke turned off his visor and looked her in the eye.

"It was an observation. I'm just saying that if you were looking for family, you could do a lot better then these guys. They don't seem to appreciate you." Smoke said calmly but it only made Nia angrier.

"You think you know who I am or what I've been through?!" She nearly screamed

"No I don't and I won't pretend to know about the circumstances that led you to trusting those guys. I'm just saying that I know a group of people that would accept anyone and respect them no matter what. They give everybody a chance to be family." Smoke stopped to see if Nia was even listening. Her face had started to fade back to normal after going blood red. "They gave me a chance when I thought no one, not even my own family, would accept me. If they accepted me then I'm sure they would take you in a heartbeat." Smoke said which caused Nia to pause. Jin was her savior, she owed him, yet at the same time Smoke's 'family' sounded exactly like what she wanted years ago. Nia decided to think about it more later, she had been itching to ask Smoke a question

"So how'd you end up like that?" she asked while gesturing to Smoke's mechanical body. To her surprise, he answered quickly

"You can thank Indol for the hours of torture and 9 year coma to turn me into a machine" Smoke said with Venom in his eyes and voice. Nia suddenly felt terrible for asking, yet she could also relate to his hatred of Indol. "They left me alone for a bit after I escaped but eventually they came for me." Smoke then stopped. He wanted to change the subject. He then asked "By any chance do you happen to have a walkman? I need one to play this." He said while holding up the white cassette tape. Nia shook her head but also reached into her pocket, pulling out 2 tapes of her own. She glanced at them before handing him one and pocketing the other.

"I don't have a way to play them anymore but they still have some sentimental value to them. You can have this one." She said as Smoke took the tape. The title of the tape read 'Natural/ID'. Smoke wasn't sure why Nia would give him the tape but one thing was certain, he wouldn't lose it. He quickly put the tapes into one of his leg compartments before turning back to the sea. Smoke then turned his attention to the world tree, the massive vegetative structure in the middle of Alrest. Smoke could only scowl in disappointment at that tree.

"When I was a kid, my mother would tell me stories about Adam and the Aegis, how their power saved the world. That was always my favorite story but it wasn't the one I truly believed. My Auntie told my brother and I about Elysium, a paradise that could house all of Alrest, where the architect of this world does his mysterious work." Smoke said. Nia assumed he was talking to her and decided to listen. Smoke then began to laugh. His chuckles were completely devoid of an humor. "What an idiot I used to be. Elysium?! It's nothing but a legend and a pipe dream of those who think a higher power will save them. Spoiler alert, he won't." Every word that escaped from Smoke was full of venom. When he turned to Nia, she froze. His once blue eyes were now blood red. "I prayed every night for years. Every day I failed to wake from the coma that stole 9 years of my life. Every time I got the same answer, silence!" his voice was barely above a whisper but Nia could hear it all and then some. She couldn't stop herself from shaking as Smoke got closer. Smoke began to emit from Smoke's body, that flipped a switch in his mind. Smoke went into a small panic as he took short, shallow breaths while patting down his body as if he was trying to snuff out a fire. Nia began to breathe again after realizing that she was holding her breath. Smoke's breathing returned to normal, as did his eyes. Nia looked right at him and nearly cried. His eyes were full of regret and sorrow, the anger was completely gone, replaced by tears that he was barely holding back. "I… I didn't hurt…." He tried to choke out the question but Nia cut him off.

"No, you scared me soulless but you didn't hurt me." She said while cautiously putting a hand on his shoulder. Smoke let a few tears fall before sucking in air.

"I'm sorry, really I…. I'm sorry" Smoke apologized with the upmost sincerity. Nia just nodded.

"Water under the bridge Smoke." She then laughed slightly "Well at least now I know why you're called Smoke" she said with a smirk.

"You don't know the half of it." Was his response. The two then stood in the silence of the night as the salvagers below deck continued to be rowdy. At first, Nia saw Smoke as a stubborn asshole. Now, she wasn't sure what to think of him.

'How do you go from looking like you're ready to kill someone to a sympathetic puppy?' Nia then realized she had another burning question

"Wait, you were in a coma for 9 years? How old are you?" she asked

"29, I was 18 when I went into that coma. I spent a year with my second family, then a year salvaging. And now I'm here." He said without emotion

"_caution, storm entering the mission area" _the sudden message from the Idroid caused Nia to flinch. Smoke then turned to Nia

"Time to go to work, I'll see you on the other side." He said as he made his way down to the lower deck with Nia following close behind.

…

Everyone now knew the target but that didn't calm some of the nervous stomachs in the crew. A storm had just rolled in and began to drench anyone who didn't have their suit on tight. Despite not being the leader, Smoke found himself helping some of the crew get set.

"Once you place your lifter onto the package be sure to swim well back" he said to one of the crew as he helped him tighten the salvager helmet. Smoke then pulled out his retractable prototype suit and activated it. His mechanical body was then covered by an orange and white suit, which he completed by pulling the helmet over his head and attaching the air tank. In reality he didn't need it but Smoke liked to keep up appearances for now. Everyone then stepped onto the ship's railing and dove into the sea. The feel of the sea would have been a little troubling had Smoke been able to feel it, but he couldn't, so he just kept swimming. It took about 5 minutes to reach the sunken ship, plant the floaters onto the wreck, and raise it up to the surface. As Smoke himself resurfaced he found a hand outstretched for him. To his surprise, it was Jin. He grabbed his hand and Jin pulled him onto the ancient wreck.

"Get out of that suit, you're coming with us" he ordered. Smoke needed only a press of a button to retract the salvager suit.

"Ready when you are." Smoke said as he activated his visor. The other salvagers began to regroup on the maelstrom as the rain continued to come down hard. The clanking of droplets on the old metal was almost deafening. Malos gave no reaction to mother nature's wrath while Nia and Dromarch looked visibly uncomfortable as the water soaked them to the bone. Smoke pulled out the Idroid and the holographic screen showed a map of the ship.

"Where's the target?" Smoke asked

"Bottom of the ship most likely. Check for an energy signature." Lin stated. Smoke only had to scroll for a second on the 3d map to find what he was looking for.

"Okay than" He said. Suddenly the main door to the ship broke open to reveal a very angry land shark known as an Aligo. Nia set herself for combat as Dromarch went into a defensive stance. Jin and Nia made quick work of the Aligo, leaving its blood on the deck as the body faded back to the ether. Jin put away his Nodachi as Nia clipped her dual rings to her side. Nia them came to a realization

"Jin, where's Smoke?" Jin immediately turned to find the mechanical merc absent.

"The merc went on ahead already." Malos said. Jin then turned to the entrance and stepped into the ship. Nia was in silent shock as the Torna crew walked through the ship. Any creature they came across was nothing but a corpse, left to bloody the rusted floors.

"He seemed to be in a bloody hurry, why?" Nia asked but Jin had no answer. All he knew was that he had the sudden urge to pick up the pace. That urge increased once the ship suddenly regained power

…

Smoke had no idea what was going on or what he was doing, he blacked out then suddenly found himself in front of a metal door bearing the crest of Leftheria.

"What the hell?" Smoke looked around and found himself alone, Jin and the others were nowhere to be found. 'An Aligo broke through the front door, I black out, and now I'm here. How did that happen?' Smoke wondered. He knew he wasn't normal but even for him this was weird.

"_**Save her, please"**_

Smoke immediately drew his sword and spun around, finding no one. By now he was just confused but decided to think on it later. He put away the katana and looked back the door.

"He said it would only open to Leftherian touch. Let's see if I still count." He placed his hand on the door, with a hiss, it opened to reveal another door 5 feet ahead. "Okay that's just overkill, what thing requires 2 doors to guard it?" Smoke opened the next door which led into a very cold room. The temperature was easily below freezing, but Smoke didn't flinch from the cold. He walked forward and saw something unexpected. A red sword was sticking out of the metal floor. It was stationed in front of what looked to be a clear storage unit, the glass had been obscured by fog due to the cold temperature of the room. Smoke turned his attention to the sword. He felt drawn to the strange weapon.

"_**Take it, SAVE HER!"**_

Suddenly Smoke blacked out

…

Smoke slowly opened his eyes to a wide open blue sky.

'Where am I?' was his first thought. He sat up and found himself in a field of grass, surrounded by trees. The air had a delightful woody smell and was rather cool. Smoke was now very confused.

'I went from a old ship to fields of green. Am I… home?' Smoke thought as he turned his attention back to the sky. He spotted an open area with only one tree in the distance. He began to walk toward the clearing. As he did, a faint sound could be heard in the distance, the ringing of a bell could barely be heard. Smoke stopped and looked towards the sky.

'No cloud wall, no floating titans. This isn't Leftheria. Where the hell am I?' Smoke once again asked himself

'_**The girl. Talk to the girl.'**_

Smoke turned around frantically, he was starting to get frustrated by this mysterious voice. He took a shot in the dark.

'Who are you?' he asked silently. For a moment he felt ridiculous, until a moment later when the voice responded

'_**Someone who has a debt to you. Please, the girl, talk to her.' **_

'What girl?' Smoke asked

'_**Look toward the tree'**_

Smoke, seeing no other option, looked up toward the lone tree in the distance. He could make out a silhouette leaning against the tree. He then began to walk toward it, all the while, the bell in the distance grew louder. As Smoke got closer he began to slow down and tried to make out the figure as he approached. He determined that it was indeed a girl, a woman with bright red hair had her hand up against the tree, a white hand made of metal. Her body was a distinct sky blue and was metallic. Smoke then came to a stunning realization.

'She's a cyborg?!' Smoke was shocked by this but he didn't speed up, instead he stopped.

"Excuse me miss, do you know where I am?" Smoke asked.

"It's such a mournful sound. It's fitting I guess, considering where we are." She said

Smoke then joined the woman by the tree. She kept her head turned away for a moment

"You mean the bell?" Smoke asked as he looked off into the distance. Fields of green as far as the eye can see, land that stretched for miles, and a little town in the valley below where the bell tolled. Smoke then turned back to the woman, who had revealed her face. She had stunning red eyes and her face was marked by swirly tattoos. Her body was cybernetic but her head was that of a human, just like Smoke. Her front body was a lighter color blue then the back. The thing that caught Smoke off guard was the shining emerald cross implanted in a triangular plate, very similar to the one on Smoke's chest but without a Imbedded crystal.

"That's a core crystal. Not only are you a cyborg but you're a blade?" Smoke asked with a rather confused look on his face. She smiled at him

"My name is Pyra"

**Pyra (Skye Bennett)**


	6. Chapter 3: Shared burden

**Chapter 3: Shared burden **

"Pyra huh? Well at least I know what to call you now." Smoke said as he looked into the distance again. The amount of beauty and quiet was almost overwhelming.

"So what should I call you? Rex, Smoke, or Raiden?" Pyra asked

"Don't ever call me Raiden!" Smoke snapped, causing Pyra to flinch and frown. He then regained himself. "Sorry it's just… it's personal. Just call me Smoke for now. By the way, how did you know my names?" he asked

"They came to me when we resonated" she explained

"Resonated… that's not possible." Smoke said while shaking his head "I can't bond with any blades. I've tried to before but the cores just don't react. I'm not sure whether it's because I'm a cyborg or maybe I'm just not worthy."

"Well I must be the exception because our hearts are now connected." She said

"Well that's great and all but I still have no idea where I am or how I got here." Smoke said with a huff of frustration. Pyra's expression turned sour.

"You were…. killed. Stabbed in the heart by Jin." She said sadly. Smoke, to her surprise, didn't look shocked, rather he looked annoyed and angry.

"Of course when I black out that happens. So I'm dead but this doesn't look like hell." He stated glumly.

"This is Elysium. It's where… we were born." She said.

Smoke then looked out into the valley again. He took in the sound of the bell, the chirping of birds, and the sweet smell of the grass. It was so beautiful that it eclipsed the stories that Auntie Corrine used to tell him as an innocent child. He wanted to believe it, after all the pain and doubt, that perhaps this paradise really did exist. He had to be sure.

"This is Elysium?" he asked

"Yes, at least the way I remember it. We're currently suspended in a dream state. Pretty soon it'll all fade to black, signaling your death." She said

"So I'm not actually dead yet?" a sinister smile broke onto Smoke's face. "So I'll be able to show him why they call me-" Smoke caught himself and stopped. He took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Rex or Smoke, I have a request. Can you take me to Elysium?" she asked with a gentle voice. Smoke took a second to think about what she just requested.

"So this place exists on Alrest? Where is it? I won't be much help if I don't know where we need to go." He said

"The world tree. Elysium is at the top of the world tree. My father is waiting there. You know him as the architect." Was her response. It immediately made Smoke scowl. Pyra took notice "Smoke?" she said timidly

"So he does exist. Yet he let this happen to me." He said while looking at his metallic body. The pause caused Pyra to reach out and take his hand. Smoke didn't instantly pull away, yet he didn't particularly like the contact. In the end he simply pulled away and said "I'm not exactly fond of your old man Pyra. If we meet him, you'll do the talking. So… you got a way out of here?" he asked

"I will give you half of my life force and you will be revived as the driver of the Aegis, my driver." She said while touching her cross shaped core.

"Okay we need to lay out a few things. One, I'm not your driver, I'm your partner. I'm not your master and you're not my weapon, you're my teammate and we are equals. Two, you wield your own weapon, I've got my own sword. Three,.." Smoke paused and took a breath before looking deep into Pyra. "I carry a burden. One that scares me to death. One that's given me a horrifying nickname. One that might drive you away. One that… that" he stopped for a moment which caused Pyra to grasp his hand again. He continued "One that's driven me away from family. So if at any point, you want to leave me behind, go ahead. I won't take offense." He said with sincerity. Pyra was quite taken aback but simply stood tall with pure determination.

"Very well. I accept your conditions, do I have your promise?" she asked

He hesitated again "If I may ask, why do you want to go home?" he asked.

She paused more a moment, then said "I wish to save this world from it's slow demise. I want to see the people live without fear." Smoke simply stood there, pondering on what he was told. He didn't quite believe her, her goal seemed to naïve, even if it was admirable. Then, he thought of Mórag, how stressful her life was because of the dying titan she lived on. No doubt that titan was even closer to dying now that over a decade had passed since he left her. Naïve or not, he wanted to make up for lost time with his old friend. Living in a world that wasn't on the verge of death would help him there. He now knew his answer, he looked up at Pyra and gave her a firm nod. "Good, now place your hand on my chest." She commanded

Smoke reached for the crystal but stopped. "One more thing Pyra. You may want to work on your phrasing. I knew what you meant but someone in the future might be mistaken"

Pyra blushed before nodding her head. Smoke reached out and touched the core. Energy began to pulse through Smoke before completely engulfed in a green aura. His head suddenly felt heavy as he blacked out. He then heard the voice once more

"_**Thank you"**_

…

Smoke could barely see as his mechanical parts began to regain power. He activated the visor as he slowly got to his knees. The warning alarm was going off as his vitals were weak. Breath after breath, second after second, he returned to normal, except for his heartbeat which was still a flat-line. Smoke wondered how he was even breathing until he remembered what Pyra had told him.

"She really did share her life force with me" he said as he stood up, only to collapse to the ground. "Dammit, not again! I don't have time for this!" he grunted as he tried to push himself up. He then spotted the red sword from earlier. 'That's probably Pyra's. I need to give that to her.'

Meanwhile, Pyra began to slowly wake up herself. She was met with frosted glass and voices.

"Nia, I'm not going to tell you again." She recognized that voice

'Malos' she thought.

"Why? Why do we have to kill them? Why did we have to kill Smoke anyway?!" the one known as Nia cried. Pyra knew she had to move. She flared up, summoning fire to her metal hands as she began to punch the glass. Malos took notice and threw the container to the side. A moment later, Pyra burst through the glass and hopped out of her casket that had held her for the last 500 years. She stood across the deck from Jin, Malos, and Nia. She suddenly felt someone pull on her arm and shove something into her left hand. She turned and realized it was Smoke with his visor active, she then took hold of the sword. She grasped it and the mechanical blade came to life, igniting with fire at several points. Filled with new confidence and a new driver 'no, partner' she reminded herself, she pointed her weapon at Malos. Smoke proceeded to do the same as he drew the Murasama. The humming red katana pulsed with electricity, almost as if it was anticipating this fight. Jin reached for his blade only for Malos to step in.

"No Jin, I've got this" he then drew his jagged blade and was joined by Sever. "So you just couldn't stay dead, could you? Oh well, now that you've awakened the Aegis, you've-" Malos was cut of as a hard punch sent him flying across the deck. He recovered quickly, realizing that Smoke had just punched him. The mechanical merc gave no verbal response, he just smirked. "Don't get cocky you little shit!" he said while charging down Smoke. He stood pat, ready to parry, only to have Pyra jump in and block the attack for him. It was at this moment that Jin stepped in. Drawing his Nodachi and attacking Pyra causing her to back away from Smoke. This brought a smile to Malos. "what are you gonna do now merc?" he asked with a laugh. Smoke wanted to help Pyra but he knew he had to deal with Malos first.

"Pyra, you got him?" he asked while Pyra was dodging for her life.

"Yeah, deal with Malos. I've got Jin!" She yelled

Smoke then rushed Malos and did something the big man wasn't expecting, he sheathed the sword and grabbed his arm. Sever moved in only to get a swift metal heel to the eye, which caused the Blade to stagger. Smoke then pulled Malos close and slammed him hard into the ground. Malos was completely shocked by the fact that he was put on his ass so fast that he didn't even realize that Smoke had his blade out again. He reacted in time to roll out ofthe way and retrieve his weapon. "You're not half bad merc. I'll give you that much." He said as he charged again. Once again Smoke set up for the parry but Malos sniffed him out. Rather than an over head slash, he went for a stab. Smoke dodged and cut Malos for the effort. "You're starting to annoy me merc."

"The feeling is mutual." Smoke said. Malos then handed the blade to Sever.

"Do it." He said. Sever rushed forward, thrusting the blade at a blazing rate. Smoke parried the initial strikes but the final few cut deep and sent him back. Blood began to seep from the wounds but Smoke paid them no mind, his vitals were at 65%, they weren't in the danger zone yet.

"Healing Halo!" Nia cried out. Smoke thought that she was healing Malos until a green aura surrounded him instead. Despite this, his vitals remained at 65%.

'That healing art was used on me but it had no effect.' He thought before turning to Nia briefly. Her conflicted expression told him everything he needed to know, she wasn't going to help Malos. He nodded and turned his attention back to the sinister man. Malos looked pissed at Nia but Smoke blocked his view of the women. "Your fight is with me, not her." He declared

"I'll deal with her as soon as I'm done with you!" he yelled while charging Smoke, his hands flaring with dark smoke. Smoke himself did not wait for Malos to come to him, choosing instead to sidestep him and slash his back several times. Sparks flew but no blood was drawn. Malos then turned and landed a haymaker to Smoke's stomach, which sent him over the ship's rail.

"Smoke!" Nia cried out. Pyra was still busy with Jin but her concern began to mount. Smoke grabbed onto the rail and flipped back onto the deck. Malos rushed him only to be stunned by a wild roar from Dromarch. Nia then fired her twin rings at Malos. He blocked both of the blades but it gave Smoke enough time to close the gap and put everything he had into a massive slash which would have cut a man in half. Malos however only staggered back a few feet. Smoke was stunned.

'How is this bastard still standing?' Smoke wondered as Pyra then joined him. Jin had suffered a few burns while Pyra looked unscathed. Suddenly a giant battle ship pulled up alongside the ship. It's guns then trained on the Aegis and her partner.

"RUN YOU TWO!" Nia screamed. Both Smoke and Pyra couldn't move in time. Smoke braced for pain but felt none as Pyra quickly put a shield. The amount of projectiles pummeling the shield began to wear on Pyra before long. Smoke grabbed her and hopped over the edge, hanging onto the railing as the missiles finally stopped. Pyra was in a state of shock until Smoke pulled both of them back up.

"Old trick I learned with the diamond dogs." He said as Malos approached again, only to be caught off balance by a huge wind gust from above. Everyone on the deck looked to the sky to find a dragon titan soaring through the air. Smoke instantly recognized the airborne titan. "Gramps!" he called out. The titan turned and began to circle back around. Smoke knew he only had a few seconds and made a rash decision. "Pyra, grab Nia! Dromarch, get ready to jump!"

"What?!" Nia cried as she was suddenly picked up and thrown over the shoulder of Pyra. All of them made a charge for the stern as Azurda slowed just a touch. Pyra, Nia, and Dromarch all landed without issue onto Azurda's back, while Smoke was a second late. He jumped off the rail as the titan flew by, barely grabbing onto a crack on the titan's tail.

"Rex my boy?!" Azurda cried

"I'm on, go!" Smoke yelled back. Azurda then put everything he could into his flight as Torna's battleship opened fire on the titan. Several harpoons found their mark as gramps groaned at the immense pain. Despite the obvious wounds, the old titan kept flying until they were out of the ship's range. Smoke climbed along his tail and toward the side of his body, grabbing onto one of the massive harpoons. He began to pull on the harpoon but it wouldn't budge.

'Hang on gramps, I'm gonna help you.' Smoke said to himself. Gramps continued to pick up speed, to the point where Smoke had to hold on with both hands or risk falling off. "Gramps, you have to slow down, I can't help you otherwise!" he yelled. Azurda made no reply for several moments, until he suddenly cried out.

"Jump! Jump my boy!" Smoke was confused until he looked ahead and saw that they were about to crash land into a much larger titan.

"Everyone, bail now!" Smoke screamed while jumping into the forest down below. Nia, Dromarch, and Pyra followed a second behind him.


	7. Chapter 4: Nonbeliever

**Chapter 4: Nonbeliever **

Pyra slowly regained consciousness, her blurry vision cleared to reveal her sword laying beside her. She attempted to reach for it but her right arm refused to move, she couldn't even feel it. She tried her left arm and had much more success. She grasped the sword and propped herself up. She then looked at her right arm and gasped. It was bent backwards and had dislocated from her shoulder socket. She dropped her sword and calmly twisted her arm forward, the pain made her wince and she bit her tongue to keep herself from screaming, it didn't work. The pain was so immense that she couldn't stop herself from whimpering as she corrected her arm. She then attempted to push it back into the socket but to no avail. Pyra was becoming increasingly worried, not just because of her arm, but she had no idea where the others were. Despite this, she tried to remain calm by taking a few deep breaths. She suddenly heard footsteps and began to wonder. 'A creature?' she thought but corrected herself as the presence became familiar. 'Smoke?' she turned and found her partner fast approaching, his visor no longer active.

"Pyra, here let me help you" he crouched beside her, grasped her right arm, and looked deep into her eyes. "This is gonna feel weird," he warned before immediately shoving her arm back into the socket. The pain was brief but it was enough to make Pyra shed a tear which caught Smoke's attention. "What's wrong? Did you just feel pain?" Pyra huffed in frustration as she stood and nodded. Smoke looked rather surprised. "So you don't have pain inhibitors?"

"No. Even though I'm a blade, I feel pain like a human would." Her response made Smoke wince.

"Are you feeling better now?" She nodded. "Good because we need to get a move on. Gramps got really fucked up in the air and I doubt crashing made him feel better." Smoke then took off, Pyra following close behind. Both cyborgs soon found themselves wading through a swamp, thankfully none of the wildlife were bold enough to attack them. Dread began to seep into Smoke's brain as they continued up a massive tree root. He picked up the pace every second, soon he was in a full on sprint, blue electricity pulsed through his feet as they made contact with the ground. Pyra picked up the pace herself but she began to lag behind. Soon the two reached a clearing and the sight made Smoke stop. Covering the path was the wounded Azurda. Harpoons protruded from multiple areas across the old titan and blue blood was clearly visible. Smoke slowly walked toward the head of the titan as Pyra followed, tears threatening to spill over.

"How awful" was all she could bring herself to say. Smoke's expression was blank, clearly masking his pain. He rubbed the grass on the face of the titan.

"Gramps" Smoke's voice barely reached above a whisper. The titan slowly opened his eyes.

"Ah, Rex my boy, it does my heart good to see you well." Azurda choked out. Smoke knew he could do nothing to save his titan grandfather, but it didn't ease his pain. Still, he kept a strong visage.

"14 years gramps… I'll never be able to make up for those years. For these few seconds though, I hope I make your passing a little less painful." tears began to pool in his eyes.

"Rex, I do not blame you for the lost time. I only hope you will forgive me for not being able see you go through the time you still have." Those words were like a sledgehammer to the glass heart of Smoke.

"Forgive you? Forgive you?! Gramps I should be asking you for forgiveness. I left you, I left everyone." he could no longer hold back the tears as they began to drip down his face. The titan gave the cyborg a smile as his body began to dissolve.

"They've already forgiven you. Rex, promise me that when you find your brother, you'll go home together. May we meet again, when the flow of the aether wills it" with those final words, the old titan dissolved into white particles, which then dispersed into the air.

Smoke couldn't halt his tears as he whispered "I will. I promise." With that, he started back down the dirt path. Pyra was devastated but not surprised by his reaction. She knew he was trying not to think about what had just happened.

She ran up to his side and stopped him. "Smoke, I'm so sorry." He gave no reaction at first, he just started walking again. Pyra walked with him, silently praying to her father for him say something.

"Why?"

"Well, you just lost someone important to you." She lamented. Smoke stopped and turned to her. His eyes burned from the fresh tears.

"No, why are you sorry?" She paused, not knowing how to answer without causing Smoke more pain. She sighed and shook her head. Smoke got the message and turned, only for Pyra to grab his arm again.

"Don't pretend that this doesn't hurt Rex." Smoke turned to her with a frown on his face. "I get it. I'm still a stranger to you, you don't wear your heart on your shoulder either, but you don't have to put on a tough act because I'm around. I don't expect you to tell me how you feel but if you need to cry, do it. I'm certainly not going to judge you."

Smoke looked back at the clearing, observing all the intricate details of the area, hoping that it would take his mind off what he was thinking about. It was no use. "I don't think it's quite sunk in. The fact that he's gone, my heart hasn't truly felt it yet." He turned to Pyra. "He used to take my brother and I flying. We'd be soaring through the sky's of Leftheria for hours, of course, that was when we weren't training." A smile found it's way onto Smoke's face. "I don't know why I'm telling you this. Maybe I'm just trying to remember the good things he did for me or maybe I'm trying to ignore the fact that I'll never be able to tell him what happened. I'll never be able to fly with him again. I'll never be able to explain why I left everyone for so long." His smile was gone, replaced by a quivering lip and burning eyes. Pyra wiped away the tears, her warm, cyber hands provided little comfort. She felt useless, she wanted to help her partner, yet she knew that wasn't possible at the moment. "I take it back. It did sink in." with that, Smoke continued walking, dragging a heavy heart with his shell of a body.

…

"Okay Dromarch, what happened now?" Nia asked while sloshing through the water.

"It would appear that I am stuck in mud milady." The tiger blade said with a hint of embarrassment. Nia grasped the straps of her blade's armor and slowly pulled him out of the mud. The two then made their way to slightly dryer land. Nia then sat down and leaned against one of the massive trunks just off the path. She took deep breaths as she attempted to fend off the urge to sleep. She thought back to Pyra picking her up like she was nothing and how the sudden jump they made should have killed them.

"Never thought I would be so glad to fall into water. What about you Dromarch?"

"I would say that we were quite fortunate milady. I am not so certain about our rescuers however." Nia wasn't quite sure what to think about the two cyborgs. On one hand, she clearly thought Jin and Malos had gone too far with the mission, hence why she tried to help Smoke. Had she known it was a kidnapping, she would have stayed behind. On the other hand, they were the only family she had left.

'I just had to think about family didn't I?' Nia said to herself. She tried her best to block out the old memories, no matter how much joy they brought, they were followed by a wave of sorrow. Nia stood up and looked toward the dark sky. The stars had begun to fade as the sky brightened slightly. The sun was coming up.

"Milady are you alright? You are clutching your left wrist rather tightly." Dromarch commented. Nia looked down to see the obvious. She let go of her wrist and offered her arm to Dromarch. "You are unharmed but I must ask, does something trouble you milady?" Nia couldn't look him in the eye when she spoke.

"Have you ever made a decision that you were so sure about but now you think it's the biggest mistake you ever made?" she asked though it was a rhetorical question. Dromarch knew immediately what she was talking about.

"Milady, is this about your decision to throw your sister's gem into the cloud sea?" Nia couldn't breathe for a moment as she desperately held back a sob.

"I wanted to be free… and I gave up the last gift she gave me. All because of my own damn fear!" Nia was now openly crying. Dromarch could only rub against her arm to comfort her. Suddenly, Nia felt herself squeezed between two arms, warmth flooded her entire being. It caused her to snap out of her crying fit and see who had hugged her. She was met with bright red hair and a concerned look. Nia wiped away the tears and sucked up some air. "Sorry about that, I'll be fine. By the way, who are you again?" she asked.

"Oh sorry, I never did properly introduce myself. I'm Pyra, are you sure you're okay?" Nia nodded though Pyra wasn't completely convinced. She decided not to pester Nia any further. Smoke then walked on by the trio without saying a word. He held himself upright but Nia could tell he was just acting tough.

"Oi, what happened with him?"

"The titan that rescued us didn't survive. He was Re- Smoke's grandpa." She said quietly. Nia understood Smoke's blight all to well. She followed after him.

…

The sun began to peek over the horizon, giving off a calm atmosphere. Smoke's mind was the complete antithesis of that beautiful calm. Any thought he tried to conjure was erased by the storm of emotions ravaging his head. As he stood on the cliff overlooking Gormott, he couldn't stop himself from staring off in the distance, looking at nothing in particular. Nia walked up and grasped his left arm for a moment. He gave no reaction.

"Hey, I know your in no position to think right now, so I'll do it for," she said. Smoke gave no verbal response but he did turn to face her. His face was completely blank, masking the storm underneath. Nia wanted to say something to help him but knew that she couldn't so she continued with her original thought. "In case you didn't know, you're on Gormott. The capital of Torigoth is off in the distance beyond the fields, see?" she asked while pointing. Smoke refused to turn until Pyra walked up and gently pushed him to face the city. Smoke then gave a slow nod, his expression unchanging. Nia continued "They have an inn, you can collect your thoughts with Pyra over there. After that, Dromarch and I will be off, " a switch went off in Smoke's mind as he quickly turned to Nia, a confused expression on his face. Nia backed up a few steps as Smoke had a hard time fathoming what was just said. Suddenly his pain was pushed away in favor of confusion.

"What? You're not honestly thinking about going back to those bastards are you?!" Pyra was stunned by Smoke's sudden turn of emotion. He went from being a zombie to a hopping mad tomato. Nia stood her ground, yet her face fell into a sad frown.

"It's not like I've got anywhere else to go. They were all I had." Smoke took a deep breath to calm himself down. He did not realize it but his eyes had gone red for a split second. Now, they were back to his normal deep blue. He then extended his arm and placed it on Nia's shoulder.

"They don't have to be." His soft tone was surprising to everyone, even Dromarch was caught off guard by the mercenary's sudden gentleness. "I know I can be an unpredictable mess, but I'm willing to bet that I've shown you more respect in these last two days then they have in a long time." Dromarch stepped in.

"Outside of you initial teasing of Milady, you have indeed been more of a friend than the others of Torna," Nia peaked over at Dromarch and sighed.

"I thought I told you that I can speak for myself", Nia turned back to Smoke. "He's right though, you have been rather kind. I have no idea why though." Smoke took his hand off of Nia and looked out toward Torigoth.

"Maybe I just felt like helping you out. Is that so hard to believe? I may be fucked in the head but I'm not unsympathetic." The nonchalant comment caused Pyra's circuits to tense up. Nia wanted to ask but a light nip to her elbow by Dromarch stopped her. She then changed her question.

"So you want Dromarch and me to come with you?" Smoke nodded as Pyra stepped up.

"Nia, do you know what I am?" Nia nodded allowing Pyra to continue. "I asked Smoke to take me home to Elysium but I would love to have you along for the journey." That statement made Nia's head spin. The Aegis wanted her and Dromarch to come along with her to Elysium, the paradise of legends. It was so quiet that all four of then could here the animals in the distance. Nia scooted over to Smoke, not taking her eyes off Pyra as she spoke.

"Oi, I thought you made it abundantly clear you didn't believe in Elysium." Smoke turned his attention to Nia. He shifted his attention back to Pyra for a moment as he began to contemplate the women's statement.

"I don't know what to believe anymore. What I saw for the minute that I was dead," Smoke shut his eyes for a moment, desperately trying to recapture the image of Elysium to little success. His eyes then went red again, his voice then changed "It doesn't matter though. Even if Elysium does exist, it's just a permanent reminder of the architect's failure. Why allow good people to suffer in the first place? Why let Indol get away with their false religion? Why turn me into a demon? Now he wants me to take his daughter home because he's too scared to face his failure!" Nia started to back away from the ranting cyborg while Pyra slowly approached the crazed man. He stared into her soul with eyes clouded by hate, his voice dripped with vice as he spoke again I should trust you because you saved my life, but I can't. I can't bring myself to do it." Pyra put a hand to his face, only for Smoke to pull away. Her concern was growing by the second.

"Why can't you believe what you saw?" was all she could bring herself to ask. Smoke didn't say anything for a moment, taking in a few deep breaths while clutching his head. His eyes, for a moment, became blue again, before returning to the menacing red color of hate.

With a calm voice and eyes full of venom, he answered: "Because I'm done Dreaming of something that won't ever save me."


End file.
